The ATP players council will target the packed tour program at next week’s Australian Open in a bid to trim the contentious schedule and demand a break of at least two months.

Players representative and world No.3 Novak Djokovic said on Tuesday discussions would take place over the next two weeks to try to find a way to introduce a longer off-season at the end of the year.

The problem has festered for several years with tournament sponsors and promoters jostling to keep their spots on the calendar and players complaining of exhaustion.

Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are among the high-profile players who will attempt to work out a resolution.

“We are going towards that goal but it takes time,” Djokovic said at Kooyong where he will be part of the eight-man field competing in the Open lead-up event.

“It’s not something that can happen overnight but the schedule is definitely one of the things that we are putting priority on.

“It’s not only about players, it’s about tournaments and it’s about sponsors and it’s about all these things. We have to take both positions but we are trying to fight for the players’ rights and I think that it’s very important that people understand how we feel,” he said.

“Listening to the top players you get a fair point – it’s just too long and definitely having four weeks between when the season ends and the start of the new season is so little.

“We have to have at least two months, that’s the minimum considering the season we are playing and the amount of matches and the level we are playing at.

“We will have some talks here in Australia and we will try to work towards (solving the problem in) the next couple of months to make it better.”

World No.9 Fernando Verdasco of Spain said players needed more than two weeks off to prepare for the first grand slam of the year at Melbourne Park.

“I didn’t play Abu Dhabi or Doha, which I was supposed to play because it was impossible with the Davis Cup (final) finishing at the beginning of December.”

Meanwhile Croatian Ivan Ljubicic will fill the eighth spot in this week’s Kooyong Classic after world No.1 Federer decided against playing.

The world No.24 stepped in to join seven of the world’s top 18 at Kooyong. The field will be spearheaded by Djokovic and fourth ranked US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina.

The other players in the elite group are Swede Robin Soderling (ranked 8), Spain’s Fernando Verdasco (9), Frenchman Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (10), Fernando Gonzalez of Chile (11) and 18th-ranked German Tommy Haas.

Federer will not be playing at Kooyong for only the second time in the past seven years but, after reaching the semi-finals of the Doha tournament last week, has decided to concentrate on practising.

The Swiss No.1 complained of a sore right arm after losing to eventual winner Nikolay Davydenko in the semis but his management have denied he is in any doubt for the Australian Open.

World No.4 Andy Murray will not be part of the Kooyong event but tournament promoter Colin Stubs has agreed to include the Scot on the program.

Murray will play an exhibition match against an opponent, who is yet to be named, on Thursday.

Ljubicic will play the opening match on Wednesday against Del Potro, followed by the clash between Djokovic and Haas.

Gonzalez will then clash with Verdasco and Soderling meets Tsonga in the final match.

© AAP 2012

Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.